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Hippo ITX-420 Driver Review

Last Updated: 11 January 2008

At a glance

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RRP£199.00

What we say...

The big idea was that by using a graphite-carbon composite instead of titanium in the top of the driver, you could save weight there are reposition it elsewhere to improve your launch angle and thus increase the distance of your drives. Does it work? Devotees say it definitely does, but the consensus seems to be the advantages over titanium are marginal at present, and offset by the slightly ‘dead’ sound at impact.

At least not all graphite-crown drivers cost the earth. The two featured on this page borrow heavily from the looks of Callaway’s top-of-the-range ERC Fusion and yet cost half as much.

The Hippo has been selling well and it’s not hard to see why. Its 420cc head delivers a meaty blow to a well-struck ball, albeit with that distinctive ‘clicky’ sound that seems to characterise most graphite crown woods. While distance was excellent – very nearly up with an ERC Fusion we tested it with – we found dispersion wider than ideal, suggesting that a stiffer shaft than the regular flex supplied might have been better (even for out testers’ less-than-tiger-like- swing speeds). So try before you buy.

Verdict: Graphite-crown technology at a reasonable cost, but be sure to get fitted with the correct shaft.

The Hippo ITX-420 Driver is great at getting some good distance down the fairway.